Winter Olympics 2022

Written by Madeline Matheny

The month of February is filled with excitement surrounding the Olympics, located in Beijing, China this year. The Olympics have always been a worldwide time of excitement, competition, and nationalism to one’s country. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer and Winter Olympics have been largely affected, with last year’s Summer Olympics being postponed to 2021. The stands were still empty, as athletes' families and friends were not allowed to spectate in person, due to the global pandemic.

The United States had 225 athletes at this year’s Winter Olympics, with the youngest being 16-year-old figure skater, Alysa Lui. Closing ceremonies took place on Sunday, February 20th, with the U.S. leaving with 25 medals, 8 of them gold. The games were filled with an excitement fueled by the athletes' hard work and dedication to training.

Specifically, excitement surrounded famous snowboarder Shaun White, competing in his 5th and final Olympic Games. Shaun White is credited for transforming the sport into what it is today, inspiring many of the young athletes he was competing against this year. It was all very bittersweet watching White’s final competition, but the emotions were at their peak right after his third and final run in the Olympic finals. After Shaun had completed his last Olympic run, his competitors lined up, waiting for White at the bottom of the halfpipe. They were filled with kind words and stories, thanking an emotional Shaun for the impact he had on the sport and on their lives. Shaun White finished his snowboarding career at age 35 with 3 Olympic gold medals and an incredible legacy. He continues to show his heart for the sport with his brand WHITESPACE—selling snowboards and snowboarding gear, in order to inspire young athletes and put his expertise into the perfect gear for snowboarders.

Similarly, all eyes were on U.S. snowboarder Chloe Kim, as she was looking to defend her Olympic gold from 2018. Chloe Kim was a strong favorite for the gold medal spot, as she is currently the world’s best snowboarder for women’s halfpipe. Chloe easily qualified for the finals in first place, meaning she would be the last to go down the pipe. Even though she was favored, Kim was shaken up before finals began, telling NBC News, “It was one of the worst practices of my life.” Despite the nerves, Chloe went out and delivered a gold-medal-winning run right away. After the emotional rollercoaster before the competition, she was clearly very relieved, crying tears of joy after her incredible performance. No one passed the snowboarder the rest of the competition, as she continued to show her unmatched skill in the sport. Chloe Kim successfully defended her 2018 gold, walking away with another one in the 2022 Winter Olympics.

United States figure skater, Nathen Chen, was another U.S. Olympic highlight, winning a gold medal in the individual skate and helping the U.S. to medal in team figure skating. 2022 was Chen’s second Olympic game, as he has also been a favorite to medal in the 2018 Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, a couple of falls in his short program cost him a podium spot, but he came in this year with a hope to skate his best. He wholeheartedly delivered with his beautiful short program setting a world record score of 113.97 points. Chen skated last in both the short and long program, so he knew exactly what he needed to do in order to win the gold. That’s exactly what he did in the long program with a breathtaking performance to Elton John’s Rocketman, bringing contagious energy and a bright smile to the ice. The skate truly captured the heart of an athlete, radiating the joy that comes with doing what he loves.

The Olympics are filled with beautiful moments in time that will live throughout history. Athletes from all over the world come together bonded by their love of the games, bringing spectators excitement surrounding their incredible performances. Overall, the 2022 Beijing Olympics will be one people remember.